The study also found that one in three of all the young people taking part in the study had been involved in an accident whilst reading or sending text messages on their phone.

According to Schabrun, this is a significant figure and might suggest that the proportion would be higher amongst older people that aren't part of "a generation who is very adept at using their phones and who think they are good at dual-tasking".

"If you're walking along and texting, the key issue is that you think you're walking in a straight line. But you're actually not," said Schabrun. "You can end up having an accident."